


She's Perilous

by inthisdive



Category: West Wing
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-13
Updated: 2009-08-13
Packaged: 2017-10-24 22:24:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/268535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inthisdive/pseuds/inthisdive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If Ainsley asks you a movie, you shouldn't say yes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	She's Perilous

Sunlight still just caught the corners of Josh’s office on Monday afternoon, licking at the shadows and Donna’s ankles as she walked in with lunch and announced, "If Ainsley asks you to a movie…"

"Why would Ainsley ask me to a movie?" Josh asked, looking up from his report at Donna, taking the proffered bag of Chinese food.

"I don’t know,” Donna replied, shrugging, “As a bonding thing."

"Not a date?"

"Not a date," Donna replied, effortlessly straightening the papers on Josh’s desk, ignoring his classic _don’t touch that_ look. She always ignored it; the look didn’t apply to her. When had she ever disrupted his working habits? Never.

Josh smiled. "I didn’t know she liked me."

"This is not a date situation," Donna corrected, flipping her hair back over one shoulder, perching on the edge of Josh’s desk.

"But if she likes me…"

"She doesn’t like you."

"Why not?"

"Well, you can be very annoying when someone’s trying to tell a story. Right now I barely like you." Donna grinned.

"If she doesn’t like me, why would she ask me to a movie?"

"Bonding, remember?"

"Guys don’t bond over-"

"Ask me why you shouldn’t go if she asks you," Donna interrupted, taking the lid off her chow mien.

Josh set down his report and took up his chopsticks, asking, in his most obedient voice, "Why shouldn’t I go to a movie with Ainsley?"

"Well, since you asked…" Donna began, grinning a little.

"Donna."

"Okay!" She scooped with her chopsticks and paused for as long as she could, watching Josh’s expression veer from amused into annoyed, and then gave the revelation: "She’s a talker."

"A talker?" Josh bit into his egg roll.

"A big talker. I asked her to come with me Sunday afternoon, you know, to make her feel welcome? We met at the Cineplex and you wouldn’t believe what she was wearing—"

"Donna."

"Anyway, we go to the candy bar, we go into the movie, the lights go dark, and everyone’s quiet. I mean, there’s still _rustling_ and popcorn eating going on, but it’s the normal level of quiet for a movie theatre."

"Except for Ainsley," Josh supplied, leaning back in his chair.

"Except for Ainsley," Donna agreed, smoothing a hand over her skirt. "She talked about everything. Whether or not the plot was predictable, what kind of a career move it was for the actors and other famous actors in general – Brad Pitt should make better choices, if you were wondering…"

"Brad Pitt should make better choices," Josh agreed. "Have you seen his girlfriends?"

"Ainsley said the same thing."

"I take it back."

"You want to know the worst part?" Donna asked, leaning over to neatly catch one of Josh’s egg rolls between her chopsticks.

"Donna, you’re on a roll. At this point you’re going to tell me if I care or not."

"It was a _twist_ movie," she replied, ignoring the jibe.

"It was a twist movie," Josh repeated, unable to help a smile.

"And of course she’s super-smart, so she figures _out_ the twist, and because she’s a talker, she talks about it. And Ainsley’s inside voice needs some work."

"Everyone heard?"

Donna nodded. "We had a riot on our hands. We ended up being escorted out of the movie theatre by this usher half my age…"

"Half _your_ age?" Josh asked, grinning.

Donna pointed her chopsticks at him in retaliation. "Half _your_ age. And then we went home, and on the cab ride back to my apartment Ainsley told me she could tell me exactly what happened in the rest of the movie to make up for it."

"So she ruined the movie and the cab ride."

"And…"

"There’s more? What a monster."

"She ate all my Junior Mints." Donna leaned over and took another egg roll. "Can you believe it?"

"Nothing worse than someone who steals your food," Josh said pointedly, looking from his egg rolls to Donna.

"I know, right?" She agreed, oblivious, and took a bite.


End file.
